Chasing Fleeting Memories Through These Stormy Seas
by ludaglava
Summary: AU. She had always held a grudge against these swine at sea, their non-existent sense of hygiene or chivalry only angering her further, but a certain captain with the "sharpest" grin on board was slowly starting to become an exception...
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya! So this is my first post on here EVER, and I'm super duper excited~ But I have to warn you, I vomited this out after watching Pirates of the Caribbean and yeah... I can't promise it'll be spectacular. **

**This is just a prologue, and the real story will be coming soon~ :D**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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"Mama, shouldn't we get outside?"

Another roar of laughter was heard from outside the small house, followed by the crash of a broken window and a small, round, black object rolling a few feet away from a young girl and her mother. A familiar sizzle was heard as the already lit fuse grew smaller and smaller, until the small piece of rope was no more, and the pair prepared for the inevitable explosion that neither could avoid. The child shut her eyes in preparation for the impending boom, but found the sound to be muffled as her mother's hands clamped down onto her ears.

She looked up to find the woman hunched over her own body protectively and made to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, but the girl's frail limb only made it halfway before her mother's hands grabbed hold of her thin arms.

"We're going to get outside. I promise, love. It's just that, now's not the time. We need to wait for all the bad people to leave first." She could hear the obvious quiver of fear in her mother's voice as the woman stroked her ash blonde hair, and it did nothing to help slow her own racing heart.

"Don't you mean the pirates?" The young girl inquired innocently, recalling the tales she had heard while she was down in the marketplace, listening to the retired sailors tell stories of adventure and excitement to one another.

"Yes, love. They're pirates. But mama doesn't want any of them to come near you, so we're going to stay here until most of them leave, okay?"

The young girl snuggled further into her mother's chest and gave a small sigh. "Alright. But we have to stay together, okay mama? Oh! Maybe papa will come and save us from the mean pirates! Oh, he surely will, won't he? Of course he will! We'll be safe in no time, mama."

Her mother looked down at her with small, sad smile. "Of course, love. I don't doubt it for a second." The older woman gripped her daughter tighter and tried to back farther into the corner they were scrunched against. But as soon as the little girl seemed to find some relief in her mother's protective embrace, a loud crash was heard in the next room.

Loud laughter and the sound of heavy footsteps were heard, as the mysterious intruders ventured closer and closer toward the mother and daughter. The older woman's breathing seemed to stop altogether, while the other tried to contain her sobs by taking long, deep breaths. Time seemed to slow for the two until finally, a group of unfamiliar faces sauntered through the door of the parlor and glanced over at the two terrified figures in the corner.

"Well, well, well. And what do we 'ave 'ere?" More laughter. A few shouts from the back of the huddle of men, although neither mother nor daughter could make out what they said. "Pretty li'l things, aren't they?"

"The smaller one looks like she'll do good cleanin' the brig!" A voice yelled from the back, resulting in more guffaws and a few drunken stumbles on either side of the group. Did _everything _just amuse these filthy people?

The small girl was surprised as her mother let go of her and made to push her up against the wall. The woman took a shaky step forward and then straightened up, a look of determination and pure hatred etched onto her beautiful features.

"You _will not touch her_," she spat, evoking a collective guffaw from the group a few feet away.

"An' what are you going to do about it?" The man who seemed to be the leader of the group took a drunken step forward, stumbled a bit further, but then quickly caught himself and stood nose to nose with the woman.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, most likely to spit in the disgusting man's face, he spun her around, pushing a pistol up to her a temple with a cold sneer directed towards the young girl in the corner.

"Looks like the li'l one'll be seein' her mummy die today, ay poppet? Such a shame that a pretty face like yours will 'ave to go to waste."

The furious woman looked to the panic stricken face of her daughter, her plump, and once bright red, lips forming a single, yet crucial word.

_RUN_

Before the pirate could process what had happened, the small girl shot up from her place and ran to the broken window, praising and cursing the pirates at the same time for their violent ways. After leaping over the short window sill, she turned to glance back at her mother who was now struggling to fight her way out of the huge group of men.

She was visibly growing more and more tired after every jab at the still-huge mob. The child anxiously searched for some kind of weapon to assist her mother, but could only find various broken pieces of wood and glass. A loud scream immediately drew her attention back to her mother, and before she could let out a shriek of warning, she watched as a cold, steel blade impaled itself into her mother's back.

Her scream was caught in her throat as she looked on in pure horror, tears building up in her mossy green eyes. Her mother wasn't going to make it. Not after this. They would not stay together any longer. She would not keep her promise of never leaving her. The only family that she had was clutching at the gaping wound in her abdomen, and slowly sinking to the wooden floor of their tiny house.

Why did it have to be them? What good did this bring anyone? They didn't have money or riches. They didn't own anything of much value. All they had was each other, and now _that _was being stripped away from them too.

Finally finding her voice, she took in a huge gulp of air and put all of her strength into one last, agonized shriek for her mother.

"MAMA!"

The men's heads automatically snapped up to her crippled figure, suddenly remembering the tiny girl that had been watching the entire time.

"MAKA! MAKA, YOU NEED TO RUN!"

She knew. She knew she had to get away. She knew that if she didn't move at that moment, she would meet the same fate as her mother. And yet, her short, pale legs could not find the strength to lift her off the ground.

"MAMA, PLEASE! YOU CAN'T-"

"GO! MAKA, GO! NOW!"

Firmly planting her hands on the ground, she bowed her head and gathered all her strength into the one, pitiful push off of the hard earth. She followed a single wet speck as it traveled down her nose and fell to the ground without so much as a sound, before realizing that it was one of her own tears, and that she had finally allowed the slowly filling pools in her eyes to empty in seemingly endless streaks down her face. Her body shook with loud sobs, but she somehow managed to get her legs working. She stood slowly to face her old home, and with a final look at her mother's lifeless body on the wooden floor of the house, she turned around and started her sprint from the village.

The once peaceful village.

Filled with joy and happy memories.

The village that was now engulfed in flames, covered in carelessly scattered bodies, and echoing with the terrified screams of families.

The village she no longer wished to remember.

She continued her run, ignoring her tiring legs, wishing to get as far away from the image of her mother as possible. She stumbled and fell, caught herself, continued, and then after running into a nearby forest and tripping over an overgrown root, she stayed on the ground; knees pulled into her chest, she rocked back and forth slowly, her loud sobs echoing throughout the forest and her mother's last, pained yells ringing in her ears.


	2. Chapter 2

**WOOOOO! AN ACTUAL CHAPTER! Well, here we go. I'm very VERY excited to write this, since I have a bit of a pirate fetish, as well as a HUGE SoMa fetish. I hope I did okay with the dialogue and lingo and everything. All I had to help were movies and google, but you know. Reviews are the bomb dot com and I really really appreciate them. Hope you enjoy!**

**Sadly, I do not own Soul Eater, or Fifteen Men on the Dead Man's Chest by The Jolly Rogers.**

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"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest…"

The drunken slur made her cringe and momentarily stop scrubbing the deck. The idiots were starting to sing again, and they would no-doubt try to hook her into their ridiculous antics. She dunked her sponge back into the bucket of suds and scrubbed at the wood in annoyance. Maybe she would get lucky and someone would interrupt the morons before they could get too excited.

"Drink and the devil had done for the rest!"

They were starting to yell the verses from all over the small ship now. Were they stupid?! They were supposed to be cleaning the entire ship, not singing pirate sea shanties, dammit! If someone were to hear them, the crew would be punished for sure! Surely, _someone _had enough brain cells to stop them.

"YO HO HO AND A BOTTLE OF RUM!"

Ah, just her luck. The entire crew of the small cargo ship had joined in, getting progressively louder and louder, as she just kept on with her irritated scouring of the wooden deck. That moronic excuse of a sailor would probably show up any minute and pull her to his chest trying to-

"MAKA! COME SING WITH YOUR GOD!"

Speak of the blue-haired devil. She was suddenly yanked from the hard floor and crushed against the side of her long-time friend. Her long-time, _drunken_ friend.

"I've told you before, and I'll tell you again, Star. I am _not _going to get drunk with the rest of you imbeciles just so I can be kicked off this sorry excuse for a ship!" she growled, shoving the slurring moron off of her and going back to pick up her previously discarded cleaning supplies.

"Makaaaaaa," he whined, "You need to let loose! We've been sailing together for _ten years_, and you haven't even gotten drunk once!"

"And I intend to keep it that way!" She snarled. And as if to raise her level of annoyance, the crew all joined together in a booming voice to chant the next verse of the song.

"Maka, one drink isn't even going to do anything to-" he let out a hiccup and a fit of very unmanly giggles before continuing, "-you! Trust your God! Just come and have some-!"

"**Why is it I don't see ye useless bilge rats followin' orders?!"**

Maka stifled a chuckle as the crew practically choked themselves in an attempt to be silent. It was always amusing to watch the idiots virtually soil themselves in the presence of their angry captain. The tall man with his red tresses was anything _but _intimidating to Maka.

"MAKA! WHAT IS MY DARLIN' BEAUTY DOIN' SCRUBBIN' THE DECKS!"

Although, she probably thought that because the "non-intimidating idiot" happened to be _her father._

Said idiot was now flinging himself down the stairs towards Maka, hands outstretched in an attempt to tackle and embrace her. Maka, however, would have none of this. Waiting for the opportune moment, she raised her boot-clad foot and brought it against the side of her father's head, knocking the over-enthusiastic captain unconscious. His constant attempts at coddling were _really _starting to grate on her nerves, but she still needed help from her failure of a father. Even if he _had _taken her in after finding her all those years ago, she still couldn't forgive him for abandoning his family, as well as for the life he was currently living. Although, she was, after all, living that same life _with him, _so she was probably being hypocritical, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

The rest of the crew stared in awe as their "fearless and indestructible" leader was flung to the side by the boot of a mere woman. Even after having Maka on board for many years, they still couldn't process how someone that petite, her body looking like that of an underdeveloped teenager, could put their daunting captain in his place.

Maka, however, was getting annoyed with the lack of obedience from the crew just as her father was. She marched up the stairs to the higher level of the deck, shrugging on her coat and placing her hat on her head- she always felt as if the large, feather clad hat served more to enforce her authority as first mate, rather than actually shield her beautiful green eyes from the sun- and stood to look down at the now relaxed atmosphere of the ship, summoning the booming voice she used to bark orders.

"Listen up, ye filthy scum! We've been in the same damn port for three days' time, and I 'aven't the slightest intention to stay any longer! Hoist the sails and make good to clear port! And once yer finished, I want ev'ry one of ye disgusting dogs scrubbin' this ship all over! Savvy?!"

A collective "AYE, MA'AM!" was heard from the group.

"Now get to work, or so help me I _will _throw all the rum overboard!"

She cringed at the turn her voice had taken. Years of living amongst pirates was certain to impose their horrid lingo upon her, and although she could keep the harsh dialect to a minimum whenever she was carrying out regular conversation, even Maka Albarn couldn't keep her voice from morphing into one reflecting her heritage while she was commanding a crew.

Regardless of how much she despised it, it was useful to get a lazy group of men working again, demonstrated by the swarm that was now hurrying about on the deck, rushing to carry out Maka's orders. There were times when she contemplated finding a ship and a crew to call her own, but she quickly pushed the thought to the back of her head. Pirates were cruel and merciless, a fine example being her own father and his crew, and being one of them would require having the heartlessness to go pillaging and raiding innocent homes and villages, which was one act she refused to partake in. She always stayed on the ship, or "The Death Scythe" as it was formally named, to study maps or records of older pirates whenever her father led raids of wealthy, and sometimes not so wealthy, ports. Her hatred for him already ran deep, so the fact that he attacked villages and ports did not really affect her. The only thing she had forced her father to swear to was the promise of never killing an innocent civilian, and he had kept his promise for as long as she had been a part of his crew.

She was awoken from her thoughts as a large hand clapped her on the back, spiky blue hair visible from the corner of her eye.

"Ya know, yer never gonna get yerself a nice, smart lad when ye go around usin' that voice all the time," Black Star chuckled.

"And what in the name of god makes you think I want to find myself a man? I'm perfectly fine on my own, thank you."

"Well now, whatever 'appened to that dream of becoming a noble woman, with yer fancy gowns and yer nice smelling men, and yer-" He was cut off by the intense heat of her glare, green eye blazing as they met his own. "Whoa now! No need to set me on fire with those huge eyes of yer's! I was but remembering a time when ye wasn't that scary." Another smoldering glare. "Well, even if ye don't want to get yerself a fine lad, that doesn't mean ya 'ave to stay on this sorry excuse of a vessel yer whole life. Go find yerself some adventure! Hell, I'll come with ya if ye don't feel you can do it all by yer lonesome!"

"Star, as much as I appreciate the offer-as well as the unneeded advice- I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a little while. I need to find those disgusting beasts that ruined my childhood, and I need a ship to do that." Maka turned and walked to edge of the large ship, gazing across the water that went on for miles and miles.

Following her to edge, Black Star ruffled her hair and laid an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "You'll find 'em, Maka. I know it for a fact."

She sighed, taking a final glance at the never-ending waves and ripples of the ocean where she knew her mother's killers were sure to be. She knew she was going to find them too. It didn't matter whether she came out of it alive or dead, because she was _going_ to punish the men that ended her mother's life. That was a fact.

She turned back to her friend, both of them going about their normal routine, Black Star occasionally cracking a dirty joke that had her laughing nonetheless, neither noticing the huge, looming vessel a ways off in the ocean.

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The man glanced through his eyeglass yet again, confirming that it was indeed the Death Scythe that was now leaving port.

"Captain."

"Hmm?"

"There's something that you should see."

A large, tan hand reached to grab the instrument. After taking a long glance, a devious grin was spread across the owner of the hand's face, revealing sharp, serrated teeth.

"Well, boys. It looks as if we'll be having no trouble getting ourselves some rum after all. Kid, set our course for that tiny little vessel over there. I've got quite a bone to pick with the captain."

"Aye, sir."


	3. Chapter 3

**Howdy y'all! Is this long enough for you I hope it is because I worked on it a long time and I know how much everyone likes long chapters so I hope this is long enough for you. ANYWAAAYS~ I had a lot of ideas for what would happen to Spirit that were MUCH WORSE than the one I chose so be happy please okay don't be sad sadness is not very good. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Please review, it leaves a warm feeling in my abdomen~**

**I'm kind of broke as fuck at the moment, so I don't own Soul Eater or anything else you might spot in this jumble o' words~ **

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Her father had finally risen from his crumpled state on the ground, although his hair resembled a bright red rat's nest, and the ridiculous, longing look he had given her didn't help much in his attempt to regain some dignity after being knocked out cold by his own daughter in front of his crew. But he finally caught hold of the little bit of authority he had left hanging on a thread when a particularly lazy, blue-haired idiot had been caught sneaking rum while mopping the deck, and the over-protective captain's thundering voice had caused the entire ship- even Maka- to jump.

The father and daughter both continued to glare at the lazy, grumbling seamen as they busied themselves with cleaning the vessel, hopeful to avoid the wrath of an angry captain. Just as Maka had been about to scold one of the sailors for a muttered insult about her lacking chest area, a shout was heard from the sails of the ship, and all heads jerked up to look towards the voice.

"The Reaper's been spotted in the west, and its comin' straight for us!"

Maka looked over at her father to see that his muscles had tensed and his jaw was clenching and unclenching at alarming speeds. "The Reaper? Who's ship is that?"

"You don't remember, angel? That bar fight I got into that happened to lead to a few canons being fired?"

"There've been quite a few of those, papa," she remarked skeptically.

"Well then take a look at the ship and surely ye will remember." He gestured to the ocean towards the west and as Maka finally caught sight of the huge, brooding ship, something in her head seemed to click. The ship's huge, black sails seemed to trigger memories of the very day she had been met with the menacing vessel and its crew. She could practically hear her father's slurred and drunken shouts, followed by those of an unfamiliar, yet just as disgusting and idiotic, man. Her brain replayed images of flimsy punches being thrown and then the scene shifted to the ship she was currently standing on, with the roar of canons and shouting men being heard in the background. She looked to the scarlet pirate banner whipping in the wind and her suspensions were confirmed. Ah, the Crimson Reaper. She certainly remembered now.

"Well you just _had _to go and get yourself into another drunken fistfight, didn't you? Look what you've done now! We sure as 'ell won't be gettin' out o' this one with any bargains! Yer gonna make 'em blow this thing to bits!" Her voice was slowly rising in volume, as well as shifting to her alternate, crude dialect.

"I'm sorry, angel, I really am! I didn't know what I was doin' that night, I swear I didn't mean for this to 'appen!"

The crimson-headed captain made to put his arm around her shoulders, but Maka shoved the limb away and gave him a furious glare before turning the rest of the crew. "Make ready the canons! We'll be goin' full speed ahead an' I'll have none of ye slackin' when we've got ourselves a ship to take down! I won't be havin' this ship sink, no matter how useless it is, am I clear?! Mister Star!"

"Aye, ma'am!"

"I don't want to see a single scratch on this piece of garbage when this is over, savvy? So if that means you'll be bringin' out the heavy artillery, then so be it!"

She could see the excited glint in his eye as her smirking friend gave her a brisk "Aye!" and a quick salute before running off to gather men to load the canons.

"Maka, darlin', I am quite capable of giving out orders to my crew," spoke a sheepish voice from behind her. But after watching Maka's head turn dreadfully slowly and coming face to face with a furious glare, the speaker was thrown into a mix of splutters and apologies. "I'm sorry, angel! I was just tryin' to- I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry- You can order around Papa's nasty ol' crew anytime! Maka, love, you know Papa loves you!"

Acting as if her father failed to exist, Maka turned around to find her eyeglass, continuing to ignore the whines- which were on the brink of becoming sobs- behind her, and choosing to try and formulate a plan to get rid of the crew's impending doom. The Reaper's men would, no doubt, climb aboard the Death Scythe, and although the men surrounding her now were fairly skilled fighters, if her memory served her well, they didn't stand a chance against the Reaper's many assassins and swordsmen.

As she began to go through scenarios in her head, it seemed that turning around immediately and running away as fast as possible was the best plan. But it was far too late to flee; the Reaper was already within range of their canons, and in minutes they would, no doubt, be swinging onto the Death Scythe's small deck, guns and swords at the ready. Not to mention that the crew was already far beyond riled up, all because of the idiotic and anger-induced orders she had given them moments ago. She sighed softly to herself. This was going to be interesting.

She was about to give the command to fire when her father, who seemed to have finally composed himself, raised his arm. "Hold yer fire!"

Maka watched the man anxiously as he waited for the best moment to unleash the volley of canon fire. Her father may have been an over-protective, not to mention _over-emotional_, idiot, but he certainly knew what he was doing when it came to weapons. She always felt a little pride in that fact, although she would never admit it to him. The sailors behind him already had their fingers shoved inside their ears, anticipating the loud shots of the canon.

With a wave of his hand, the captain finally yelled, "BLAST THOSE FOUL COCKROACHES STRAIGHT OUT O' THE WATER!"

There was a huge roar of battle cries and gunshots from the crew, and finally, the canons went off. The black globes of destruction sailed toward the menacing ship, their impacts scattering wood and debris into the water. An answering rumble of shouts was heard from the Reaper, and its canons fired in return. Maka watched multitudes of grimy seamen swing across the gap between the two ships and land onto the deck. She immediately pulled out her pistols, managing to shoot a few that were still trying to swing over, as well as a few that were now attacking her crewmates. But before long, they began to come in huge numbers, filling the small deck of the Death Scythe with blood, discarded weapons, and, to her utter horror, even a few disembodied limbs.

She had lost sight of her father amongst the crowd of yelling men, as well as Black Star. It seemed as if she was going to be on her own in this fight as well, she concluded while whirling around to an oncoming attacker and successfully slicing her sword across his neck. There seemed to be a never-ending onslaught of men attacking from all sides, and even as she fought to keep her ground, she could tell the entire battle was a lost cause. They would be forced to surrender soon, or her father would surely be killed, and as much as she despised the man, she couldn't allow him to die. She tugged her blade from another sailor's chest, trying to formulate a plan that would somehow keep her and her father alive. Another slash of her blade, followed by a slumped, lifeless body, and suddenly her brain seemed to kick in. She would go over to the Reaper and offer the captain some sort of payment, or perhaps his pick of the men aboard the Death Scythe. They were useless anyways, and losing a few wouldn't hurt.

Satisfied with her plan, she grabbed hold of a loose rope and swung across the gap, landing on the balls of her feet. She quickly scanned the area surrounding her for any oncoming attackers, but they were all too focused on getting more ammunition below deck or fighting off other men that had gotten over. There was much less fighting going on aboard the Reaper, but she could still see the occasional blood splatter or 'used' sword. After navigating her way around two brawling pirates, she spotted the captain's cabin and made a beeline to the door.

The room was small and damp, littered with a few worn-looking maps and the occasional stack of gold. There was a bronze eyeglass sitting on the desk directly in front of her, and before she could step forward to inspect any further, she was slammed into the wall on her left.

"Well, what do we have here?" A voice snarled. She found herself staring into deep, enticing crimson irises, and she couldn't seem to look away. "Is someone trying to play hero? Because you know you're not going to be getting off that easy."

She finally looked away from her attacker's eyes long enough to take in the rest of his features. His dry lips were pulled up into a devious grin, revealing rows of serrated teeth. His tan complexion fared well with the surprisingly stark-white daggers, and both attributes seemed to make his eyes all the more alluring. She could see no signs of hair, only a scarlet bandana under his worn, black hat, but his eyebrows seemed to rival his teeth in all their bright, white glory. And just by taking in every feature, inch by inch, she started to realize just who this man was.

She had already seen the ship twice now, and she knew very well the rumors that were told about it. The crew that never hesitated to kill a man if he posed some type of danger, the captain who's demonic red eyes and gleaming jagged smile could both swallow you whole and take your soul for his own.

"Y-you're Soul Eater, aren't you?"

His deep pools of crimson glinted with amusement, and his grin never faltered, even when he spoke. "That would be _Captain_ Eater to you, but, yes. The one and only."

Hearing his teasing tone, her brain seemed to finally kick in and she looked around to notice their compromising position. He held one of her wrists above her head, while the other was pinned to her right. His chest was inches from hers, and his knee was positioned in between her thighs. If he moved her up just a few inches, she would be hovering above the floor, and she _certainly_ wasn't going to let him do that.

With a snarl, she yanked her wrist forward in an attempt to get at least one arm free of his grasp, but the devious pirate captain would have none of that, and he firmly held her in place. "Now, do you really think that's the best way to keep yourself alive? Trying to hurt me isn't going to get you anywhere, dearie."

"What do you want?" she spat.

"Well now, I could be asking you the same thing. Seeing as you're the one on _my _ship."

He was having a wonderful time with his teasing, and it infuriated her to no end. "I've come to negotiate."

The loud guffaw he emitted made her blood boil. "Negotiate? And what in Death's name would we be negotiating?"

"D-did you just say 'Death's name'?"

Instead of looking even the slightest bit embarrassed, the man flashed the same grin as before, only now his deep, red orbs had a distant and somewhat dejected gleam. "I certainly did."

"W-wha?"

"There ain't no god where I come from, love. And there certainly isn't one 'ere."

The cold undertone and thick accent his voice had taken on caused a slight shiver to run up her spine, and she could only stand lifelessly, looking up into his distant gaze. _Who was this man?_

It took her what seemed like hours, but she finally managed to regain some of her usual fiery attitude, and started to carry out her original plan.

"Well, I could care less whose name you're using in vain, for it certainly doesn't matter to me. I've come to negotiate the terms of you calling off your attack on the Death Scythe."

He seemed to snap out of his stupor at her words, and tilted his head down to look at her once again. He didn't laugh this time, but Maka could still see the infuriating, amused glint in his eyes. "_My _attack? Dearie, I do believe it was attack? Dearie, I do believe it was _your _ship that fired the first shots, am I wrong?"

"You're flag was raised and you were coming straight for us! We weren't just going to lie around and let you blast holes in our ship!" She had tried to keep her temper under control, but this ridiculous, _infuriating, idiotic_, man was eliminating all chances for a calm and composed conversation (not that there had been a large chance in the beginning, what with him _shoving her against a wall and sticking his knee in between her legs_).

"What's happened to that cute little formal tone you were using? Was it all just a ruse? Did you expect me to take pity on you? Or _perhaps_, you were trying to seduce me, eh? I'll tell ya right now, love, while I do appreciate those legs of yours, formality is not the way into my heart," he chuckled.

"It would be in yer best interest, to shut that gaping hole ye call a mouth," she spat.

"Oh? And what are you gonna do if I don't?" he chuckled, "Unless you suddenly sprout some attributes on your chest to suffocate me with, I don't think you have a lot of options."

That was the last straw. With a roar of rage she ripped her wrist free from his grasp and pushed the large man off of her, enjoying the sudden shock written all over his features. She let her fist sail through the air towards Eater's face, but instead of being met with its target, her small was hand was caught by a much larger one, and with a sickening _crack_, her wrist was bent back at an unnatural angle.

With a sharp cry, her knees buckled as he continued to bend back her wrist, his calm, teasing composure blown away on the breathy, painful gasps Maka was releasing. "Do ye really think you can come on _my _ship, to 'negotiate'," he spat with disgust, "and then act as if you own the bloody thing?! You may have had a chance of staying alive before, but now ye won't be havin' any mercy."

He grabbed hold of the collar of her shirt with one hand, the other reaching back for his pistol while Maka struggled to free herself with only one good hand. Just as the barrel of his gun was pushed up against her temple, the door to the cabin flew open, and a tall man with jet black hair burst through the doorway.

"Captain! The- O-oh. Am I interrupting something?"

Taking a closer look at the man, Maka noticed the odd stripes running across one side of his hair. She certainly hadn't ever seen anything like it before, but then again, her best friend's hair was four feet tall and _blue_.

"What do ye want, Kidd?" Eater snarled, still holding his pistol to Maka's head.

"They're losing more and more men as we speak. I don't think they'll be able to hold us off any longer." Maka's eyes widened in shock. It wasn't as if she hadn't known that it would happen, but she thought that they could at least hold out for longer than ten minutes! What kind of crew did Eater have?! "I came to see if I should negotiate the terms of their surrendering- wait, isn't that Spirit's daughter?!"

At Kidd's sudden exclamation, Maka watched as Eater's head jerked back to look at her and then quickly back to Kidd. "This li'l hag is the Captain's daughter?"

She struggled against his grasp, kicking her legs up in an attempt to wound him in some way. "You idiotic little-"

"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK," Eater bellowed as he lifted her farther off the ground.

"Captain, it would be a waste to kill her now. She could be a useful tool when negotiating with Spirit;" Kidd interjected. The man appeared surprisingly calm in the tense atmosphere of the room, but Maka could hardly focus on anything else as the crimson eyed captain lifted her even farther into the air, successfully choking her with her own blouse.

"But if I let her live, who's to say she won't try something stupid?" He spat at his feet with the last word, and looked back to Kidd for some sort of answer.

"Weren't you the one that said chances were meant to be taken, Captain?" Kidd replied with a smirk.

Eater's lip quirked the slightest bit before he unceremoniously dropped Maka to the ground. She landed with a hard thud, and she let out a painful howl after making the mistake of trying to catch herself with her broken wrist.

"Get Harvar and Kilik to bind her and bring her outside. Tell the rest of the men to stop their killing and wait for my orders. I'll be having a little talk with the captain.

* * *

After having most of her body roughly tied up and shoved out onto the deck of the Reaper, Maka had been brought over to her father's ship and now found herself staring into the man's terrified and grief-stricken features.

"All I ask for," Eater began, "is half of all the gold you own, and you'll get your precious little daughter here back before you know it."

Spirit looked around nervously before finally replying. "Let me speak with her first. In private."

"But of course." Eater smirked at the red-haired captain, and then made his way out of the small quarters, gesturing for his men to follow him. "We'll give 'em a few minutes to themselves, lads. Don't take you long now, savvy?"

Eater's men chuckled and sauntered out of the door, leaving Maka and her nervous father alone for the moment. "Papa, what's this all about? Just give them the gold."

"The thing is…" her father began, looking down at his worn, wooden desk nervously, "I... don't have any money at the moment." He muttered his answer so quietly, it took her a moment to fully process what he had said.

"Y-you what?"

"I was going to tell ya sooner, Angel, I swear I was. It's just that all the ports have the nicest lodges and bars, and you _know_ they have the best rum back at Grigori-"

"So you're telling me, you blew all of our plunder on rum and _women_?"

"Now, love, I didn't say anything about women-"

"DO YE TAKE ME FOR SOME SORT OF IDIOT?!" she bellowed. "I'm not daft, Papa! You get a different whore at every port, an' Grigori, or Death, or any other one we've been to in the last month hasn't been any different! Did ye ever stop to think, that perhaps we would need the money for something OTHER THAN THE BIG-BREASTED HARLOTS?!"

Spirit cringed at her harsh words and looked down at his feet in shame. She always knew her papa was a careless man, but she didn't think he could have been _that_ stupid. But his next words shocked her out of her angry ranting and she refused to believe he had actually said them.

"I know, Maka. That's why I'm going to give him my life in exchange for yours."

"W-what?"

"I'll tell him that I'll serve him if he'll let you go. After all, you're the only thing I have to live for, Maka."

"W-wait! No! No, you can't do that! We can just tell him we'll have the money soon! He'll believe us won't he?! He has to!" Her anger from before was long forgotten, and the only thing she could think about was her papa living a lifetime of servitude all because she had tried to play hero.

"Maka, that's Eater out there. That man isn't going to make any sort o' deal that doesn't involve him havin' 'is money right now. I'll go, Maka. It's alright. You were a better captain than yer papa anyways."

He didn't give her time to reply, to stop him from making the huge mistake of pledging his life to Eater, instead he walked out of the cabin and called for Eater's attention.

"I'll be the payment."

"You'll what?" Eater asked in an amused tone.

"I'll be yer payment. I'm familiar with the deals you make, Eater. A lifetime o' servitude in exchange for Maka's life."

"Indeed, it seems you are quite familiar with my terms. Although, I'm not sure you'll be of much use on the ship. We've got plenty of filthy scum cleaning the brig already." At this, Eater's men let out a dark chuckle in unison, and all Maka could do was look on as her father attempted to keep calm for the sake of her life.

"You never pass up on the chance to take a soul, Eater. I know that for a fact."

The crimson-eyed captain sighed. "You're right. Very well. Harvar, Kilik, bind Mister Albarn and escort him to the Reaper."

Her father was grabbed roughly and his arms were secured behind his back. The two men shoved him in the direction of the other ship, but Maka could not suppress her rage any longer.

"EATER!"

All of the men on the ship reeled to look at her, some of them with matching looks of confusion, other's with amusement, but Eater's face remained blank.

"Let him go. I'll be the one to work for you."

He stared at her for a few seconds before replying. "You? What makes you think I have any inclination to take you aboard my ship after that little stunt you pulled a moment ago?"

"I'll work. I'll cook, I'll fight, I'll clean the bloody brig if you command. Just let him go free."

"So you wish to make a deal of your own? Your life in my possession instead of your father's?" He flashed her his menacing grin, bloody eyes hidden under the rim of his hat. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into, dearie?"

"Does it matter? You'll get a life. That should be enough for you."

He mock-contemplated his decision for a moment, tapping his index finger against his chin, while his men looked on in amusement. "Very well. Lock Mister Albarn in his cabin, and bind our darling little hero here."

Her father looked on in sheer horror as Maka was tied up and shoved over to the Crimson Reaper, sending furious glares to the two lackeys behind her with every rough shove they gave. But she missed the leering, crimson gaze that was being given to her chest, or more specifically, _her soul_.


	4. Chapter 4

**WELL HEY THERE Y'ALL! Another chapter... without any major plot occurrences. I'M SORRY. But I swear on my life that there will plot startin in the next chapter. Cross my heart and hope to die.**

**So read? Maybe leave a review when you're done? It always makes my day! Anyways, I'll let you go on ahead, thanks for taking the time to read! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

She found herself scrubbing furiously at the revolting grime and refuse that was caked on the wooden floor and felt a sudden wave of déjà vu. Ah, that's right. It had only been two days since she had been in the same situation, although, she had been on the deck of her papa's ship, absorbing the warm rays of sunlight and listening to the dozens of men she had used to wake up to every morning sing ridiculous songs in a drunken slur. She suddenly realized that she now yearned for that familiar atmosphere, thinking that perhaps she _should've _taken Black Star up on his offer of a fun time of drinking and singing, and how perhaps the two situations which she was recalling and living were not the same at all. The thought of Black Star and her father caused a dry lump to form in her throat and her vision began to blur with the tears that were pooling in her eyes, but would not be given permission to be released.

She blinked a few times, steeling her resolve to not cry while she was anywhere near this horrid ship, and forcing the memories of her abandoned family and friends far back into the corner of her mind, previously only reserved for thoughts of her mother.

The heavy thumps of frantic footsteps could be heard above her as she continued to scrub at the floor beneath her. She had been kneeling on the hard wood for hours, the cloth of her pants now soaked through with water, mold, and other substances that she couldn't even distinguish. The first job she had been assigned was to sit through a lengthy lecture from Eater concerning her work and the absolute necessity of her obedience. "If I learn of a traitor amongst us, their skull will be getting _mighty_ acquainted with my bullets, _mighty_ quickly, savvy?" He had managed to look completely at ease when speaking the grave warning, fiddling with his eye glass and tapping his foot to an unknown rhythm on the floor behind his desk. She had believed his warning then, and she certainly believed it now. Everyone across the ocean had at least once heard a rumor of Eater's harsh nature, and now she could see that they had not been rumors after all. This man didn't seem to have an _ounce _of pity within his tan, lean body.

She blew a stray lock of blonde hair from her eyes and took a moment to wipe the sheen of sweat off of her forehead. The only other orders she had been given so far were to clean the brig. She scoffed to herself. Eater must have realized just how much he had underestimated her before, shown by the extreme precautions he had taken by chaining one of her ankles to the metal bars that served as a cage for prisoners. Perhaps if they had taken her as prisoner and locked her behind the corroded metal, she would have been able to ignore and curse the entire crew silently, but it was proving to be quite difficult when Eater would either summon her to him, or come down to check on her himself every chance he got.

She heard the heavy thudding of footsteps down the small flight of stairs on the opposite side of the large chamber and shook her head. Speak of the devil. _The_ _infuriating, idiotic, cruel, threatening, shark-toothed devil._

"Oh, Makaaaaa! Where's my _darling_ little hero at, eh?" he taunted. But she simply turned back to her work, choosing to ignore the egotistical captain.

"There you are! Well would you look at this! You clean up well, don't you?"

Silence.

"You should've sold your sold to me sooner!"

Silence.

_Had he really just said that?_

"Okay, I admit, that was a little uncalled for. For Death's sake, I'm just trying to lighten up the mood! Every time I see ya, you look like you want to dangle my body over the starboard bow."

"And why do you think that is, _Captain_?" she spat, turning to glare at him over her shoulder.

"So she speaks! I knew I could wrench it out o' you somehow." He lazily trudged over to where she was kneeling, leaning his weight against the metal bars of the makeshift prison.

"What is it that you so _desperately _need, that you've had to come down here for the tenth time today?"

"You've been keeping count?" He quirked a stark white brow, a familiar smirk finding it's way onto his features. "Happy to see me, are we?"

"_Ecstatic," _she growled, standing from her place and shooting him a fiery glare as she bent down to pick up the bucket and rag she had been using.

But she looked away before she could catch the appreciative glance that was thrown at her backside, lingering on the curve of her spine and the jut of her bottom.

Eater cleared his throat, bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his neck. There was no hesitance or embarrassment accompanying the movement, unlike what most men would show. No, the slight quirk seemed to fit him, the lazy yet fluid movement of his muscular arm making him appear somewhat more human than usual.

Since when had she become so _observant_?

"Well, seeing as you headed straight down her after our little talk, not to mention you've cooped yourself up in here the entire time, you haven't had the pleasure of meeting my fine crew."

She raised a brow.

"Alright well, the crew has been droolin' over the fact that there's another woman on board-" _Another _woman? "-and I just want to show 'em they've got nothin' to get excited over."

"As incredibly appealing as it sounds to be mocked about my appearance by even _more_ idiotic men, I'll have to kindly decline your offer."

"Ah, but that's assuming it was even an offer."

She scowled at his sudden blank expression, crossing her arms over her chest. "So basically, you've come down here to warn me of my impending humiliation?"

"And to fetch you for said humiliation, as well," he added with a smirk, returning to his usual, smug attitude.

He held her glare as she stood stiffly, although his eyes held traces of mirth, and something else she couldn't recognize. She finally gave in with a sigh, realizing that if she didn't comply now, physical force would surely ensue. "Well, it seems as if I don't have choice, do I?"

"Not in the slightest," he grinned.

"Very well then. Lead the way, _Captain_."

He pushed himself off of the weathered steel, walking back to the stairs that he had come from and waving her over to him. She followed silently, watching as he ascended the steps in front of her and _definitely not_ admiring his behind. She shook her head on her way up the steps, pausing for a second to realize what she was thinking and quickly following after Eater, taking the steps two at a time after falling behind for a moment.

When she emerged from the slim passageway, she was met with the bright and blinding gleam of the sun that she hadn't seen in days. Shielding her eyes from the rays that were once warm and familiar, but now unwelcome, she squinted to make out the many bodies standing idly, apparently waiting for her to emerge with the captain.

Said captain was now pulling her along behind him and up the steps to the upper level of the deck. His grip on her arm was tight, not nearly as strong or predatory as it had been when she had attacked him a few days ago, but more cautious, perhaps even protective.

The moment her eyes had fully gotten used to the bright sun, she took a moment to truly take in the sight of the ship for the first time since she had arrived on the _Reaper_.

The ship itself was beautiful in it's own sort of menacing way. It's pitch black sails stood tall and proud, and although some of the smaller sails were reduced to scraps of dark fabric fluttering in the wind, the ship still moved faster than one could imagine and the shredded cloth only added to its alluring yet daunting appearance. The bright crimson flag waved it's symbol of the Jolly Roger for all to see, warning innocent merchants and naval ships of their impending doom. It's bright color reminded her of the ship's captain's own eye color, although his were a more enticing and darker shade of crimson. One could almost say that she could find herself swallowed whole by only his eyes, surrounded by the deep, rich scarlet color and suffocated by the endless emotion that could be found there if she looked at exactly the right moment.

How had she gone from appreciating the ship's own beauty to reciting the incredibly enticing features of her captain's eyes?

And now she was calling him _her_ captain! What was wrong with her?!

"LISTEN UP, YE SORRY CUR!"

Dozens of head immediately reeled to the sight of their captain, the majority expecting to receive some sort of punishment on account of his impending wrath, and all feeling equally confused after taking in his amused, and somewhat soft, expression.

"I've brought out our darling little hero, since the lot o' ya can't seem to keep yourselves under control."

Snickers were heard from various different corners of the ship, the majority coming from the end opposite Maka, where she could faintly make out the strange and telltale sign of Kid, three bright white stripes running across jet black locks of hair.

"And although I am very aware that none o' ya have had any luck with our lovely cook-" He gestured in the direction of where Maka had been looking before, and shifting her eyes back to the general area, she could faintly make out the sight of long, raven hair. "-little Miss Albarn here is off limits as well."

This certainly caught her off guard. Had it not been only days ago when he had been so close to ending her life, the dangerous and predatory gleam in his eyes showing no signs of mercy? After having spoken to him in such scornful and disrespecting ways, she had somewhat expected him to push her into the crowd of lecherous and desperate men, allowing them to have their way with her. But for reasons unbeknownst to her, the cruel captain had saved her from the mens' greedy hands and in some ways, claimed her for himself. One did not set a woman off limits to a crew full of men without some sort of hidden meaning, right? This would have to be discussed.

Loud and obvious groans were heard from all sides of the large vessel, coupled with extremely childlike whines of "Captaaaain."

"Now I assure you lads, there is no need to get anxious. Our course is currently set for Death, and I plan on giving you each a fair amount of gold to spend on whatever may please you." He winked as chuckles and cheers reverberated across the huge deck of the ship, and Maka watched as fists and even other men were flung into the air with joy. Ah, so that was the purpose of the port. Hoe had she not known beforehand? But were these men truly this desperate for intimacy?

"We'll be arriving at our destination in only two days' time, but the moment we dock, I best be met with a sparkling deck, do I make myself clear?!"

"AYE, CAPTAIN!"

"Very well then, GET YER GRIMY ASSES BACK TO WORK!"

After observing dozens of able bodies quickly go back to the tasks they had been performing before, Eater turned back to Maka, expression contorting into one of confusion at seeing her obvious awestricken appearance.

"Somthin' wrong?"

"N-no." She cleared her throat to steel her slightly wavering voice. "No. I'm quite alright."

"Good. Feel free to speak with some of the crew, I'm sure our cook would love to meet you." He grinned at her, but it hardly resembled his usual, smug display of daggers. No, this grin was much more sincere, warm even, and it confused her to no end.

He turned to lazily trudge back into his cabin.

"Eater!"

He turned back slowly, one bleached brow raised in a silent question.

"Thank you," she muttered, staring down at her feet.

He stood there for a moment, mouth slightly agape as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words to do it, but then he gave a curt nod and continued on his path to his quarters.

Once she was sure he was gone, Maka lifted her eyes from her bare feet, the unfamiliar feeling of warmth on her cheeks clouding her thoughts. Why was she suddenly getting so flustered?

A gentle tap on her shoulder startled her out of her embarrassed stupor and she reeled, almost smacking the person behind her as her arms flew madly around her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"No, no, it's alright," giggled a soft, distinctly _feminine_ voice from behind the shadow of a large sunhat perched atop a head of beautiful, raven locks, cascading down a lean yet equally curvy figure. Maka was about to bend down to get a good look at the speaker's face, but the woman tilted her head just the slightest amount and Maka had to contain her gasp.

Another set of strangely pigmented eyes. Yet the ones she was looking into now were far more warm and inviting than the man's she had been speaking to just moments ago. The beautiful tint of violet displayed kindness and tender emotion for all to see, along with a slight tilt indicating Asian descent, both being something Maka had not been met with in a long time. She managed to wrench her stare away from the magnificent, violet eyes and glanced at the rest of the woman's features.

Even her mouth seemed to portray tenderness, one side quirked upward in a look of shy amusement, plump lips parting just the slightest as the owner let out light spurts of laughter. The rest of her body was neither skinny nor plump, her figure filling out nicely and even her bland choice of clothing accentuating her wider hips, all the while sending small jabs to Maka's almost nonexistent self-confidence.

Surely such exquisite beauty did not belong on this ship full of filthy, revolting men! Especially when they were so desperate for the touch of a woman, be it real or for a price. How had all of the crude crew kept their hands off of her, when even Maka was awestricken and jealous of the woman's natural beauty?

By now, the woman's laughing had ceased, a soft smile replacing the previous half-grin of amusement. Her hand was outstretched, and Maka had regained just enough common sense to grasp it firmly before the woman thought she was completely daft.

"I know the captain mentioned me before, but I don't think he said anything about my name. I'm Nakasukata Tsubaki- ahem, I mean, Tsubaki. Just Tsubaki."

Maka quirked a brow at the woman's strange behavior, but could not keep from returning the warm smile. "I don't think he happened to mention my name either," she chuckled. "I'm Maka. So you're the cook?"

"Yes! As well as a doctor of sorts whenever Kids not around. Do you do anything special, Maka?"

"Eh... Not that I know of," she replied sheepishly. "Apparently I'm quite good at cleaning the brig, that count?"

Tsubaki let out a peal of laughter, the pleasant sound bringing a feeling of warmth to Maka. "But of course! What would we do without someone who does well with a rag every once in a while?"

Both women fell into a fit of giggles, relishing in their newly formed friendship. Perhaps her "lifetime of servitude" wouldn't be so bad, now that she had someone to relate to. Although she would still have to ask what Tsubaki was doing on the _Reaper_ in the first place.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, a firm hand was set on her shoulder, startling her for the second time that day. Tsubaki broke into a beaming smile and she waved to the stranger behind Maka, "Kilik! Hello!"

Kilik. _Kilik_. The name sounded _so familiar_. Maka turned to look behind her and was met with muscular, ebony arms, one resting on her shoulder, the other raised to wave back at Tsubaki. She looked up to the man's face, warm, russet eyes meeting hers as pale, dry lips curved upward in an inviting smile. His hair was pulled into tight braids, some of them bunched together on the back of his side, and the remaining stray braids falling to frame his long face. The man reminded her of Tsubaki, but no one could rival the raven haired woman's kindness. She smiled in return, but soon did a double take as she realized why this man and his name were so familiar.

He was one of Eater's goons that had tied up both her and her father, and she somewhat remembered being pushed and prodded at while she was being forced to board the _Reaper_.

She opened her mouth to unleash her fury upon the man that was partly responsible for her current residence aboard the ship, but her word were caught in her breath when he raised a bulky hand, eyes closed and head shaking in a silent interruption.

"I just wanted to apologize for what happened. I promise it's not like that normally, but we've just got to keep up our reputation."

Maka eyed him skeptically, not fully satisfied with his explanation.

"I'm sure you already know, but I'm Kilik. I'm one of the weapons experts on the ship. Nothin' too special, especially when you look at Tsubaki's skills-"

He suddenly stopped, looking past Maka's shoulder in confusion but then his face slowly returned to normal.

"Anyways, since it looks like you'll be with us for a while, I just wanted to make sure I apologized for how Harvar and I acted before." Harvar. That must have been the other man.

Maka contemplated for a moment, wondering whether or not she should forgive the surprisingly kind man, or continue in her loathing of practically everyone on the ship. But there would be no sense in distancing herself from the people she was evidently going to be living with for a while. Or at least until she could escape, which she was hoping would be in two days when they made port.

She stuck out her much smaller hand, "I'm Maka, I understand about your reputation, no need to worry."

He beamed at her, flashing another set of surprisingly bright, white teeth. "Well, I'm glad! So, what do you do, Maka?"

"Well," she began sheepishly, "nothing so far. I guess I'll be cleaning for a good long while, but other than that, I like to think I'm decent at combat."

"Fighting, eh? Never would've taken you for the fighting type," he chuckled.

"Years of living with Spirit kind of make fighting mandatory."

Kilik nodded, "Yeah, he seems to be the reason for a lot of fights these days."

"Tell me about it," she scoffed.

"Miss Albarn."

Maka was met with Kid's strangely grave face and equally strange formal attire that she had not noticed before.

"The captain has requested an audience."

Kilik elbowed her in the side lightly and whispered, "'Means he wants to talk to you."

"I know what it means!" She growled, but the burly man just snickered and ignored Kid's slightly raised brow.

"You should go quickly Maka, the captain isn't a very patient man," Tsubaki piped in, after having been silent during the duration of Maka's conversation with Kilik.

Maka muttered something unintelligible about the captain's oversized ego, but followed after Kid anyway. She pushed open the door to Eater's cabin, only to find him asleep, breaths steady and scarlet eyes covered with the rim of his hat. When exactly had he sent for her? He couldn't have fallen asleep so fast, could he?

"Captain," Kid barked, eye practically twitching in obvious irritation.

"Hnnn?" The quiet grunt came from behind the brim of Eater's large hat.

"Miss Albarn is here, as you requested."

That seemed to wake up the lazy captain; his flicked the brim of his hat up from his eyes and flashed his usual grin. "Ah, yes, thank you Kid. I'd like to speak to Miss Albarn in private."

The strangely formal man gave the captain a stern glance before nodding curtly and exiting the room, leaving Maka, yet again, alone with the bane of her existence.

"You rang?"

"I did indeed," he smirked, managing to look maintain his uninterested demeanor, although his eyes sparked in excitement. "As you know, we'll be reaching Death in a few days."

Maka nodded.

"And while I would prefer that there is no threat of you escaping, everyone needs to be on land for a little while."

Maka had to bite back a grin from her slowly rising excitement. What was he saying? Was he actually going to let her off the ship while they were docked?

"I will allow you to leave the ship while once we reach the port."

Yes! She almost squealed in excitement. This was the chance she had been waiting for! She just had to wait until she was alone and-

"_However_, you are never to leave my side during the duration of our stay." The crimson eyed captain chuckled as her face fell almost instantly. "Is there a problem, Miss Albarn? Surely you didn't think I would just let you roam free while you are still technically my prisoner. What would I be left to do if you somehow managed to escape?"

"Continue on with your sorry life," she growled.

"You seem to have forgotten the deal that we made." He sneered, eyes darkening and serrated teeth appearing more menacing than usual. "Would you like me to refresh your memory?"

"That won't be necessary," she managed through clenched teeth. How could this man go from civil, and somewhat tolerable, conversation, to making her feel as if she was emitting fire across her body from the sheer fury he had induced?

She turned on her heal, making to leave, before he spoke up. "By the way, you'll want to get something that doesn't make you look quite as feminine as you do. I'm sure you had no trouble with anyone while you were accompanying your father, but with me, the others will not so kind as to take a hint."

She stared at him incredulously, wondering why the man would go to such measures to protect her from other men. But before she could inquire on the subject, he sneered once again, teeth flashing threateningly.

"You are dismissed."


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow hey there kids um uh heheh**

**heh**

**yeah so contrary to popular belief, I am not dead. And uh neither is this story. **

**There's really no proper excuse but I will say that writer's block is THE worst thing in the entire freaking world. **

**No but like I'm really sorry guys. I saw all these reviews about updating and I was like holy shit people actually read this and wow your reviews were really the main reason I got up and at em with this thing. **

**I will be trying my VERY hardest to update more consistently now but honestly you shouldnt trust me because I hardly ever fucking keep my promises.**

**BUT ANYWAYS. **

**I really hope this was worth a very long wait even though its probably not but I still really hope you enjoy~**

**And maybe if youre not too mad at me you could review? ehehe. ehe.**

* * *

There was a collective whoop of excitement as the ship finally reached the port, men filing out of the large vessel in huge numbers. Maka almost began to run after them, but caught herself when she realized that she had to wait for her _Captain_. The irritating man couldn't even allow her time to herself the one time that they made port. _Sure,_ she was _probably_ planning on running the opposite direction of the ship and it's menacing captain the very moment she was out of sight of any of the crew members, but that was to be expected from someone who was dreading their life on the _Reaper_ after only a few days!

She shuffled sluggishly off of the ship, her now boot-clad feet thumping on the worn wood of the dock with every languid step she took. Tsubaki had come to bring her clothes to wear that morning, insisting that the captain had picked them out himself to ensure no one would recognize her. She was ecstatic for the wardrobe change, tired of the filthy and flimsy rags she had been wearing for longer than could have been considered healthy. Her lithe and skinny figure hadn't been that hard to hide under layers of masculine clothing, after all she had been doing it herself whenever she was forced off the ship at the less-friendly ports with her father.

But her sudden memories of her father, however unpleasant they may have been, caused her to cringe and glare out at the lively town that was a small ways away from the dock. She spotted a few familiar faces chatting with busty and _extremely _dirty looking women, most likely hoping to enjoy their night after sailing for so long.

She heard a soft clacking of footsteps behind her and turned in time to see Eater positioning his hat onto his head, partially hiding away his bleached locks. She continued walking down the dock at a normal pace, taking in the full view of Death Port. She had visited the energetic town only a few times with her father, preferring to stay away from the overwhelming number of floozy women that seemed to be hanging on every corner. But the enticing-for-some scene had been _perfect _for her father.

Her captain had fallen in step with her by now, staying silent through their entire trek down the dock. They stopped just in front of all the activity of the town, Maka pulling the brim of her hat down to shield her face from any wandering gazes. The scene of Death Port was that of a usual pirate port, with the exception of the constantly growing number of whores positioned everywhere and anywhere. There was plenty of fighting partaking in the streets, complete with drunken punches and slurred insults. A plethora of gunshots could be heard going off in every direction, some of them coming from random strangers who seemed to want to show off to the women with their loud weapons.

Eater was now walking ahead of her, seemingly unaware of the particularly busty whore that was making her way over to him.

"_Soul_." The woman was fairly pretty, light blonde hair cascading down her shoulders and around her face, although her make up appeared to have been smeared on all over her face by an infant, Maka mused with a cringe. She noticed how the woman spat the crimson-eyed captain's name, although he seemed to be completely oblivious to her hostile tone. Maka found herself shaking her head shamefully in place of her captain, a small twinge of jealousy making itself apparent in her mind.

Why was it that this whore was able to call the irritating man by his first name, when she had to cower under him and show her 'utmost respect' with his formal title? Albeit, she hardly ever referred to him as "Captain" to his face, unless she was mocking him in some way, but she still felt a twinge of irritation at the ridiculous situation.

Maka was too busy trying to quell her growing agitation to register Eater's response to the floozy.

"Anya!"

A deafening crack startled Maka out of her thoughts, and as she looked to the source of the sound, she was caught between snorting in amusement and unleashing her fury upon her captain.

The man's head was tilted to the side opposite Maka, a prominent red handprint displayed on his cheek. His face was dazed and somewhat confused as he slowly turned back to his assailant. The woman's face rivaled the bright crimson that was oh-so-visibly displayed on the side of the captain's face, cheeks puffed out in anger. She turned on her heel and stomped away, leaving the light haired man to stand with his mouth agape.

He turned back to her slightly. "Not sure I deserved that."

Maka had no time to respond, for another woman, with a chest that somehow rivaled the previous woman's, began to march over to the dazed captain.

"Meme!"

"Who was she?!"

This time Maka _did_ let out a chortle at the captain's expression, and her laughter only grew in volume as she spotted the large scarlet hand print that had been left to match the other on his opposite cheek. He stood frozen in place, head tilted towards Maka, as "Meme" scoffed and stomped away from him to go stand back at her post.

"I may have deserved that."

Her amusement won over her rising anger again as she gave in to bouts of laughter, arms clutching her stomach.

"Slapped you… clean on the face-" she exploded into a brand new fit of laughter, ignoring the glares he was sending her way.

He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her behind him roughly, growling under his breath about "disrespectful prisoners."

By the time Maka had finally pulled herself together, although she still let out a few chuckles here and there, they had reached their mystery destination. It resembled a small cottage, although there was nothing quaint or quiet about the events that were taking place inside. The rough, worn sign that hung down in front of the door read "PUB", letting all visitors know that they would most likely be stumbling and slurring by the time they left the pub.

Eater adjusted his hat to dip low over his eyes, much like when Maka had first encountered him. He pulled up his belt, although it only drooped low again from the heavy weight of his pistols, and strolled confidently into the pub.

Maka followed behind, ducking her head in hopes of not attracting any unwanted attention.

Although that proved to be a little difficult when one's captain was the most well-known pirate sailing the seas.

"Well if it isn't the soul eater himself!"

Both Maka and her captain turned to look in the direction of the voice that had shouted across the pub. A tall, dark-skinned man with short tresses of black dreadlocks stood a few steps away, arms outstretched in greeting to the captain. There was something familiar about the friendly man, and as Maka watched him stroll closer to Eater and herself, she found more and more familiarity in the man's inviting grin. Was that-?

"Sid! Where 'ave you been, old man?"

Sid?! But it couldn't be him! Sid had been her father's friend for years! There was no _way_ he could ever be acquainted with her new captain!

"You best be watchin' yer mouth, son," Sid chuckled. He shook the crimson-eyed captain's hand firmly and clapped him on the back. "What brings you to death, m'boy?"

Eater chuckled and laid an arm across Sid's shoulders. "The usual. Rum, a good fight, _company_," he added with a wink.

Maka scoffed and looked to the side, not noticing Sid's curious glance in her direction. "Who's the lad?"

"Some poor bloke we picked up during a raid. _Begged _me not to kill him. And being the compassionate man that I am, I took him under my wing." He smirked deviously while Maka glared at him from under the rim of her hat.

Sid chuckled. "And this 'young bloke' just happened to be little miss Maka Albarn, ay?"

Both Maka and her captain's head snapped up in attention and neither could find their tongue.

"Soul, what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"I'll have you know, that the whole situation was a very honest exchange, and it's all over with now."

"And you really don't think Sprit will be making any attempt to retrieve his beloved daughter…?"

"He knows what awaits him if he breaks the deal," Soul replied cryptically.

Maka cleared her throat and finally found her voice. "How did you know?"

Sid gave a light chuckle and flicked the tip of Maka's hat above her eyes. "Do you really think yer old uncle Sid wouldn't be able to recognize you?"

"Uncle?!" Soul stared in pure amazement as Sid laughed loudly and pulled Maka into a hug.

"It's been too long, lass."

Maka willed her body to relax for the first time since she'd set foot in the port. After all, this was Sid, not some disgusting idiot with an overlarge ego and stark white hair.

"While I don't owe you any sort of explanation," Maka began," he's not really my uncle. But I grew up with him. At least while I was on my father's ship."

"Aye, and I haven't seen you since the day you took in that blue-haired idiot."

Maka smiled sadly and looked back to Soul's still-surprised face. His brows furrowed in confusion and he looked almost guilty for a second, before Sid cleared his throat and brought the attention back to him.

"Now, you know very well I'm not one to interfere with your deals, but why in God's name did you choose _Spirit Albarn's _daughter?"

"I didn't choose her, trust me mate, I was planning on spilling her blood across the deck." At Sid's glare of warning, Soul cleared his throat and resumed in a lighter tone. "It was her choice. She asked for the deal, and you know I never pass up a soul."

The three had been walking towards the back of the pub throughout the entire conversation, and by this time, they were seated in small table in the corner of the building. Sid raised an eyebrow and glanced skeptically at Maka, "You _chose_ to serve Soul?"

"It was either that or my father. I won't let anyone else give up their lives for my sake."

Soul glanced curiously at Maka's determined stare and vague explanation, but brushed it off as she composed herself once again.

Sid sighed and turned back to Soul. "Even if her soul's bound, promise me you'll treat 'er well, Soul. She doesn't belong below deck or in chains." He smiled warmly and patted Maka's shoulder.

Soul scoffed, "You overestimate me, old man." Both the captain and Sid chuckled in unison. "But I'm sure I can scavenge a bit of self-control for the darling little hero."

The rest of the night was spent laughing and talking with no real purpose, and it was only when a loud crash rang throughout the pub, that Maka's attention was shifted from her companions.

"This is the last time I'll ask! Where. Is. _Soul Eater_."

Both Maka and Sid's heads snapped to stare in confusion at the obviously startled captain in question.

"Who's that?"

Soul bared his teeth in a crude sneer and gave a low growl. "I have an idea, but I'm really hoping I'm wrong."

Maka stared in disbelief. "So you commonly find yourself being chased by angry men?"

"Not always men, love." He winked, but despite her lighthearted scoff, the small feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach only continued to grow.

The mysterious, yet familiar, and definitely _angry_, voice was now identified as that of a large, muscular man, who was currently holding the bar-tender by the collar. His face was turned in the opposite direction of the three onlookers in the back, but Maka felt she most likely wasn't going to be happy when his face eventually came into view.

"H-he came in a long while ago- I dunno where he went, I swear! Probably sleepin' upstairs!"

The huge man let out a menacing growl, pulling the bar-tender higher into the air in an attempt to drag him across the counter.

The pub had grown quiet and all eyes were directed to the scene at the front of the building, but when the loud scraping of a chair was heard, all heads turned to the back of the room in curiosity.

"Now Free, if ye wanted to find me, ye could've been a bit more civilized to the lad, eh?"

The large hand that had been tightly gripping the bar-tender's collar froze and slowly began to relax, eventually letting go completely and unceremoniously dropping the other man to the ground.

"_EATER_," the man spat, turning towards the back of the room, "It's about time you stopped your runnin'"

"Running? Now why on earth would I be running from you, old friend?" This was spoken through gritted teeth, Soul's eyes once again being the only visible areas through the shadow of his hat.

It was at this moment that the man's face fully came into view, and Maka bit back a gasp at the painfully familiar sight.

There was no mistaking him now. The haunting phrase of "No Future" written above one eye bearing an strange and unknown symbol was one of the many things that had haunted her dreams ever since that dreadful day. This man was there. This "Free" took part in her mother's murder.

And Maka was _furious_.

"'aven't you heard? Medusa's been wanting to see you. It's about time you refresh your little deal, isn't it?"

"Is it really? Must have slipped my mind," Soul sneered. "Feel free to tell her to _rot in hell_."

The majority of the pub's inhabitants' eyes widened at Soul's angry retort and most cocked their pistols in preparation for the undoubtedly oncoming brawl.

"She said you might say that." Free's mouth split into a lecherous grin as he unsheathed his sword, turning it over and admiring the daunting gleam of the metal.

However, Soul was not the one to mimic the action. Instead, the captain's burgundy eyes shifted to stare at Maka's risen form in disbelief.

Her thirst for revenge and bloodshed had won out over her attempt at restraining herself, and she was intent on watching the monster in front of her beg for forgiveness as the life was slowly sucked from his cold, empty body.

Her teeth were bared and her jaw was clenched so tight, Soul could hear her teeth grinding together from his spot a few steps away from her.

"Now is_ not_ the time to play hero."

Soul's warning fell onto deaf ears as Maka slowly progressed toward Free, hat still tipped in an attempt to hide her face. Despite her seemingly composed stride, Soul could see her hands shaking violently at her side.

"Who's this? Can't fight your battles for yourself, eh Eater?" Free chuckled and moved forward, returning his sword to its resting place at his hip and rubbing his hands together in cruel excitement.

Maka involuntarily let out another growl as he approached, whipping out her sword and slashing the blade downward with all the force she could muster, only to have it stopped half way down.

She looked up in hopes of being met with Free's horrendous head sliced down the center, but instead found herself in extremely close proximity to the man she had hoped to kill, her breath quickening at the sight of his sneer.

His hands were wrapped around the _blade_ of her sword. He had stopped the full force of her attack with only his bare hands.

What in god's name was going on?

Sid, having risen from his chair the moment Maka herself stood, finally chose to pull out his pistol and shoot at Maka's attacker, only to be all too surprised when Free used the sword that Maka still clutched for dear life to block the oncoming bullet with inhuman speed and send it propelling into the wooden wall of the pub.

Sid's shocked and disgruntled expression resulted in barks of laughter from Free. "If you'd like to keep the lad alive, I suggest you put that away Mr. Barrett."

Maka scoffed, and resisted the urge to spit onto Free's satisfied grin. His eyes shifted back to her's, looking somewhat surprised by the mocking sound she had made in such close proximity to him.

She met his eyes for the first time since she'd seen him threatening the bartender, and he looked confused for a moment before his expression turned to one of sincere shock.

He ripped her hat from her head so quickly, Maka barely had any time to realize what was happening and froze in place, her expression of shock a mirror image of her attacker's.

"Can't be... watched her die myself..." Free uttered in shock, before realization swept over his features.

"_You_ must be the little one. Well, well, well," he chuckled, "never expected to see the whore's little girl ever again."

"YOU SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH!" Maka promptly roared before spitting in his face and causing him to release his hold on her and stumble back.

She pulled out her pistol with inhuman speed and aimed at his head while he angrily wiped away the saliva from his face.

"You," she began, cocking the gun," will _NEVER_ speak of my mother again, _DO YOU HEAR ME_?"

Free lifted his head to stare into the barrel of her gun, revealing his infuriating sneer. "Seems I got it right, aye?"

"Why."

"Why what?" he chuckled.

"Tell me why or I swear to you I will take your life here and now."

He threw his head back and laughed outright. "Oh my, you mean your mother then. Well-"

"Not just my _mother. _My entire _VILLAGE._"

He chuckled and rubbed his chin in thought. "As I was saying, it seems she hadn't performed very well during her nights of whoring and-"

The bar rang with the sound of a gunshot being fired and Maka stared with rage as a hole was left blown through Free's skull.

She heard footsteps approaching behind her, no doubt Soul, as she watched Free's enormous body fall the ground. Yet even when she heard the thud as he hit the wood floor, she did not drop her gun from its position, nor did her hands cease their shaking.

She heard a soft whisper of "I'm sorry." as tan hands lowered her arm and pulled her back from the lifeless body on the floor.

But before anything else could be said, Free's body began to push itself off of the floor and Maka was left to stare in horror as the gaping hole in his forehead closed until there was only skin left, with no reminder that there had ever been a wound.

He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders back, as if he had simply just woken up, and began to approach her frozen form. But before he could come close enough to reach her, the barrel of a gun and blood red eyes blocked his path.

Free only sighed and pulled out his own, even larger, gun. "Eater, I'll only be asking you once to move."

"You won't shoot. Medusa would have your head."

At this, Free growled and leaned over to look at Maka's still shocked face.

"I never forget when I get shot, lass. And I promise you this," he stepped closer until he was pressed up against Soul's pistol, "we will meet again."

With that he left the bar, rubbing his forehead in agitation and was soon followed by a young woman with hair almost as pale as the heroic captain's.


End file.
